Former Punjab CM's assassin approaches HC for premature release

Shamsher Singh, sentenced to life imprisonment for assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh and 17 others in 1995, has approached the Punjab and Haryana high court, seeking directions to the district magistrate, Patiala, for deciding his application for premature release from the Burail jail.

Shamsher Singh, sentenced to life imprisonment for assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh and 17 others in 1995, has approached the Punjab and Haryana high court, seeking directions to the district magistrate, Patiala, for deciding his application for premature release from the Burail jail.

The petition came up for hearing before the division bench headed by justice M Jeyapaul on Thursday. The court, while posting the matter to be heard on September 26, also appointed an advocate to assist the court in the case.

Assassination of Beant Singh and 17 others was carried out through human bomb Dilawar Singh on August 31, 1995, near the civil secretariat, Punjab, at Chandigarh and Shamsher Singh was one of the masterminds.

A Patiala resident, Shamsher Singh, was sentenced to imprisonment for life on July 31, 2007, by a Chandigarh trial court. He has been behind bars for over 17 years since December 16, 1995.

The trial court had also awarded death sentence to co-accused Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh Rajoana, life imprisonment to Gurmeet Singh and Lakhwinder Singh, and Nasib Singh was sent to 10 years' imprisonment.

In his letter written through the Burail model jail, Chandigarh, and forwarded through the jail superintendent, Shamsher had mentioned that he had submitted his application to the Patiala district magistrate for premature release on March 21 and had also sent various reminders but till date no response had been received.

It was also informed that he had been maintaining good conduct in the jail.